Research Guides and Information

Court Forms - Connecticut Judicial Branch:

• Official Court Forms
  JD-CL-12 - Appearance
  JD-FM-75 - Application for Waiver of Fees
  JD-FM-221 - Verified Petition for Visitation - Grandparents & Third Parties
  JD-FM-162 - Order to Attend Hearing and Notice to the Defendant
  JD-FM-158 - Notice of Automatic Orders
  JD-FM-164 - Affidavit Concerning Children
  JD-FM-164A - Addendum to Affidavit Concerning Children
  JD-FM-6 - Long Financial Affidavit OR
  JD-FM-6 - Short Financial Affidavit
  JD-FM-183 - Custody/Visitation Agreement
  JD-FM-185 - Motion for Intervention in Family Matters

• Family Forms - Filing for Custody or Visitation (or both)

Research guides prepared by the Connecticut Judicial Branch law librarians:

• Rights of Grandparents and Third Parties in Connecticut

• Child Custody Actions in Connecticut

• Child Visitation Actions in Connecticut

OLR Research Reports - Office of Legislative Research:

Custody or Guardianship

• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - 2007-R-0056
  You asked us to highlight differences when grandparents raise their grandchildren as (1) Department of Children and Families (DCF)-subsidized guardians or (2) probate court-appointed guardians.
• Grandparents' Rights - 2005-R-0832
  You asked for an explanation of Connecticut law on grandparents' custody of, and visitation with, their grandchildren.
• Grandparents' Custody of Grandchildren - 2003-R-0596
  You asked for an explanation of (1) Connecticut law on grandparents' custody of, and visitation with, their grandchildren and (2) "de facto" custody laws in other states.

Financial Assistance

• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - 2012-R-0391
  You asked for information on state financial assistance programs for grandparents raising grandchildren.
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren - 2008-R-0048
  You asked us to give an overview of the financial assistance programs the state provides to grandparents raising their grandchildren.

Visitation

• Grandparents' Visitation Rights - 2023-R-0117
  Does Connecticut law give grandparents rights to visitation and contact with their grandchildren?
• Grandparents' Visitation Rights in Connecticut and Select States - 2015-R-0082
  This report summarizes (1) Connecticut's and other New England states' laws on grandparents' visitation rights and (2) recent legislation on this issue.
• Caselaw on Grandparents' Visitation Rights in Connecticut - 2011-R-0333
  You asked us to summarize five Supreme Court cases (four from Connecticut's court and one from the U.S. Supreme Court) involving child visitation and custody disputes between fit parents and third parties, including grandparents (Castagno v. Whoelean, Troxel v. Granville, Roth v. Weston, Fish v. Fish, and DiGiovanni v. St. George).
• Grandparents' Visitation Rights - 2011-R-0079
  You asked for a comparison of Connecticut's law on grandparents' right to visit their grandchildren with the laws on that subject in other states.
• Grandparent Visitation Over a Parents' Objection - 2011-R-0022
  You asked what legislation could be enacted to strengthen a grandparent's right to visit his or her grandchild over a parent's objection.
• Grandparents Rights - 2009-R-0439
  You asked several questions regarding grandparents' rights to petition the court for visitation with their grandchildren.

• Sec.17a-98a. Kinship Navigator program
• Sec. 17a-10b. Commissioner to use best efforts to notify grandparent when child removed from custody of parent.
• Sec. 46b-56. (Formerly Sec. 46-42). Superior Court orders re custody, care, therapy, counseling and drug and alcohol screening of minor children or parents in actions for dissolution of marriage, legal separation and annulment. Access to records of minor children by noncustodial parent. Parenting education program.
• Sec. 46b-56b. Presumption re best interest of child to be in custody of parent.
• Sec. 46b-57. (Formerly Sec. 46-47). Third party intervention re custody of minor children. Preference of child.
• Sec. 46b-59. Petition for right of visitation with minor child. Order for payment of fees.

• Chapter 25: Superior Court - Procedure in Family Matters
  Sec.25-3 Action for Custody of Minor Child
  Sec.25-4 Action for Visitation of Minor Child
  Sec.25-5 Automatic Orders Upon Service of Complaint
  Sec.25-57 Affidavit Concerning Children
  Sec.25-59 Closed Hearings and Records
  Sec.25-62 Appointment of Guardian Ad Litem

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